


A Rock and A Hard Place

by Live



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Dialogue Heavy, Explosions, Flawed logic, Gen, Is that really a surprise with who is tagged in this story?, Manipulation, Temporary Character Death, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Villain Wilbur Soot, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 11:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30038334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Live/pseuds/Live
Summary: When one mad man won't let him die and the other won't let him live, all Tommy can do is yell and argue and hope that someday they'll understand his point of view. That maybe one day they won't have power over him...
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 4
Kudos: 92
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	A Rock and A Hard Place

"You know I _am_ sorry," Wilbur says. It's the first thing he's said in the past hour and a half. Just letting Tommy scream and insult him while he was busy working.

"Sorr- You're _sorry_?!" Tommy couldn't do anything about the way his voice both rose to glass shattering pitches and shrivelled up and died. Tommy was just… tired. Tired and _done_. So very, very done. "If you were sorry you wouldn't be doing _this_ , you fucking psychopath!"

If Tommy could, he would gesture violently around them. As it was the movement wasn't needed. Wilbur was already admiring his handy work.

Staring appreciatively at the ludicrous amounts of TNT around them (there was just… so much _more_ than when Wilbur had blown up L'Manberg, more than when Techno, Phil and Dream had blown up L'Manberg, just… just so much, _too much_ ). He stared longingly at the death promising blocks, before turning fond eyes on Tommy. Tommy who was tied to a chair, Tommy who was surrounded by the ominous red of TNT. 

"I _am_ sorry, Toms," Tommy hated hearing the once sweet nickname leave Wilbur's lips. 

"Don't call me that!" Tommy yelps.

"Toms," he's ignored. "You're like a brother to me. I don't _want_ to see you hurt, but I've told you. I know I've told you. I know you remember."

"I don't want to talk about this! I don't want to talk about this! Stop!" He doesn't cry or sob. He's not desperate! Just… Wilbur is right. They _have_ talked about this. Or at least Wilbur has told him this nonstop since coming to the weird conclusion he's come to. Tommy doesn't agree with Wilbur. Tommy doesn't like hearing what Wilbur's about to say. " _Please_ stop."

"We're not _good_ for the server, Tommy," Wilbur tells him anyway. Wilbur will keep telling him. Tommy's started hearing those words in his sleep. He _hates_ it. "You and I? We've never been good for the server. Every conflict? _We're_ the root cause."

"We're not! We've… we've been a part of some conflicts, but we're not the root of conflict! We're not the driving force!" Tommy won't give in to Wilbur's insanity. He knows they're not only at fault. He knows war and conflict doesn't work like that. Tommy and Wilbur alone are not enough to cause the mayhem and destruction that exists all over the SMP.

"Then name some conflicts we've never been a part of. Name some conflicts we didn't start," Tommy almost hates Wilbur indulging him as much as he hates Wilbur ignoring him. When Wilbur indulges it means he's planning to tear his world apart. He's planning to make him question his every thought. When he indulges though, Tommy has a chance. Has a chance to reason with the man Tommy once looked up to. Has a chance to get his pseudo brother back.

"The… Techno's execution," Tommy gasps, rushing to find something. _Anything_. Why did his arguments leave him the second he was given a chance to voice them? "That was between Techno, Quackity, Tubbo, Fundy and Ranboo alone. You were dead. I was exiled. How could that be tied back to us?" 

"Tommy," Wilbur sighs, like he's sad. Like Tommy's misunderstood something vital and he's _disappointed_ in him. "Why did Tubbo and the others try to execute Techno?"

"Because… because Techno destroyed L'Manberg-"

" _I_ destroyed L'Manberg, Tommy," Wilbur shakes his head. " _I_ was the one who blew everything up. Techno did what? Release a few withers? Make a speech? I'm surprised you didn't see it coming, sure you could forgive Tubbo and the others for not knowing, but _you_ and _I_? Techno made it clear he wanted the government gone. Did you forget that? Did you ignore that? Did you expect Techno to be happy that we went against his wishes?"

"But… but you were the one who said we needed a president. _You_ were the one who put me, then Tubbo, into that position," Tommy argues. Forgetting in this moment, in this moment where he feels a _tiny_ amount of dread over the entire Techno situation, what he was originally arguing about.

"Exactly, Tommy. _I_ was the one who started this entire mess by ignoring Techno's feelings, after acknowledging and promising him that his opinions were valid. _You_ didn't fix the situation by going along with the plans I laid out," Wilbur laughs. "I'll give you credit there though. You _almost_ stopped Techno from rampaging. The second I mentioned reinstating governments and called you to stand in front of everyone, Techno had tensed up like a cornered animal. Then you turned the position down, said you weren't fit for the role. By the way, great character development there, Tommy. Realising Dream's control over you stopped you from being able to hold a position of power. A beautiful show of growth. Acknowledging a problem is the first step in fixing it, a shame you never got around to, you know, actually _fixing_ it. Anyways, back to Techno. Do you remember what he was like when you were giving your little speech?"

Tommy wants to scream. Wants to stop Wilbur from speaking. There was no way Tommy could have stopped Techno (there was no one in the world that could stop Technoblade. He was an unstoppable force). Tommy wants to yell about Wilbur being a liar. Wants to interrupt and interrupt and _interrupt_! But he can't. _He can't_. Wilbur would just let him wail until he couldn't speak anymore and then carry on with the conversation like Tommy hadn't said a single thing. He was stuck here. Stuck to an uncomfortable wooden chair listening to Wilbur's uncomfortable truth. 

"No," Tommy says, trying not to cry. "I… I just remember the withers and Techno telling me to die."

"That's fine Toms," Wilbur says, his voice soft like he was trying to sooth him. Like Tommy had just woke up screaming from a nightmare.

(The only nightmare Tommy's had is the one he's living.)

"There was a lot going on that day," Wilbur's words are gentle as he steps over to Tommy. He crouches down and runs a hand through his hair (Tommy hates the way he leans into that touch, not a moment of hesitation when it comes to accepting Wilbur's affection). "My death, Schlatt's death; a whole country wiped off the map in seconds. It's understandable to forget some of the minor details. Do you want me to remind you?"

"Not particularly," Tommy's not sure it would really be _reminding_ anyways. Tommy's memories beyond the violence are shaky at best. Did he even try making eye contact when giving his speech? He doesn't remember.

"So, you're agreeing we're the cause of all chaos on this server? That _we're_ the problem?" Wilbur asks.

"No," Tommy instantly disagrees. The words falling from his lips in a second. "We- _I'm_ not the cause of everything. You're insane!"

"Maybe," Wilbur nods, continuing to carefully run his hand through Tommy's hair. "But even the insane have a point. Do you want to know how Techno reacted to your speech?"

"I know how he reacted. He released withers on me after telling me to _die_ ," Tommy snaps. He wants this to be over already. He wants Wilbur to just agree with him and admit his insane babbling isn't _right_.

"No, Tommy. He was _devastated_ ," Wilbur laughs. "I saw it first when I said you'd be our new president. There was betrayal, but then you said no to being president and he looked _hopeful_. Like someone believed him, like he had someone to trust. But then you made a mistake. You _should_ have decided to just end L'Manberg being a government run country then and there. Instead, you gave the decision back to me. Someone who had already proven to not care about Techno's wishes. You could have prevented a lot of tragedy if you had thought things through."

"You… you can't blame _me_ for what Techno, and you, did! I didn't make you blow up the nation! I didn't make Techno release withers on the entire country. You could have talked things out! There were other ways things could have gone!" There were so many other ways it could have gone. Everyone could have been alive and had their wishes accommodated.

"I'm not blaming you solely, Toms," Wilbur shushes, his hand moving from Tommy's hair to cup his cheek. Directing his face so their eyes lock together. Wilbur's warm eyes don't reveal any of the insanity hidden beneath them. You wouldn't know this was a man about to blow everything up a second time. "I surely deserve to take most of the blame. I knew Techno wouldn't react well to the decision I made, I knew you wouldn't think to turn down a position I gave you and I knew we wouldn't be there to live with the consequences of our actions."

"We wouldn't…" Tommy wheezes. What?! What the fuck?! "Wilbur. Wilbur! What the fuck does that mean? Wilbur!"

"Are you really surprised?" Wilbur asks, a genuine question and… Tommy shouldn't be surprised, he's experienced this crazed Wilbur for a while now. First in Pogtopia. Then in afterlife. "The real reason I wanted you to be president was you'd be standing directly on top of the explosives. The reason I chose Tubbo as your replacement is your dependency on each other meant you'd willingly follow after the both of us died. Tommy we were always meant to die together."

"No. No!" Tommy denies struggling to escape Wilbur's gentle touch and the harsh ropes that keep him in place, but there's no point in denying what's surrounding them. Wilbur plans to blow the both of them up, along with everyone else. It… it makes sense that Wilbur had tried this before. It makes sense that this was Wilbur's original goal. That doesn't mean Tommy has to accept it!

"Tommy we're not good for this server," Wilbur assures. It's not the kind of assurance Tommy wants.

"Techno's execution wasn't our fault!" Tommy denies.

"Yes, it was. If we never betrayed Techno, Techno would have never lashed out. If he never lashed out, L'Manberg would have never went after him. They would have left him to his peace, right?" Wilbur says it like it's a final and done thing, but it's not. It's not!

"No. Techno killed Tubbo and Quackity. They also went after him, because of that," technically Tommy isn't _sure_ about that. He'd only been told what happened afterwards. Techno had told him and later Tubbo had told him. Neither of them had painted a pretty picture. Neither seemed all that sure of their motives.

"Wasn't that also our fault?" Wilbur laughs. "Techno distracted and delayed Tubbo's execution for as long as he could. He gave us ample time to do something. We didn't and so he acted quickly in a way to save himself and make Tubbo's death quick." 

"But you-"

"I stopped you from interfering?" Wilbur hums, it's annoying how nice it sounds. "I did. I couldn't have you saving Tubbo and Techno. They do make a nice martyr and scapegoat."

"What?" Tommy chokes. This isn't a revelation. He knows how messed up Wilbur is. Wilbur had spent the months they'd been stuck in afterlife together sharing all his messed-up thoughts. Like Tommy understood him. Just like how Dream talks to him. But… but Wilbur had never talked about Tubbo and Techno like that before. He had never talked about their friends like moveable chess pieces.

Wilbur pushes his hand firmer against Tommy's cheek. Grounding Tommy in the moment. Wilbur's fingerless gloves are rough against his flesh, but he can't complain about it. Not when it's the kindest human touch he's felt in weeks. Months? Years?

"I told you, Toms, we're not good for this server. We just cause problems," why does his voice have to be so soft when saying that.

"You," Tommy manages through gasps. His breathing harsh as he loses himself to Wilbur's words. " _You're_ not good for the server. Everything you've said. It just- it just makes you sound like a manipulator. Like… like Dream."

"Worse, Tommy," Wilbur corrects him, as though being _worse_ than Dream was something to be proud of. "I'm so much worse. _We're_ so much worse. People wouldn't be suffering nearly so much if we had never come here. People would actually be _happy_."

"We made people happy," Tommy's eyes itch with the burning need to cry. He just shakes his head and clenches his eyes shut, tightly. " _We made people happy._ "

"True," Wilbur agrees, but Tommy doesn't open his eyes. He knows, _he knows_ , that Wilbur isn't finished yet. One truth, one agreement, wasn't enough to sway Wilbur. It never had been. "But didn't that just make it all the worse? Would Tubbo exiling you have hurt so much if he weren’t your best friend? Friendships, making people _happy_ , just makes the pain all the more unbearable. Doesn't the fact that we're like brothers make this sting all the more?"

Tommy whimpers. 

Wilbur shushes him with sweet words. Words that Tommy can't tell if they're empty or truthful. They're like brothers so Wilbur _cares_ , but Wilbur has him strapped to TNT, Wilbur _wants_ him to die. 

"It hurts. I _know_ Tommy," Wilbur whispers, his voice is still loud in this space hidden away from everyone else. "That's the exact kind of pain we've been pushing on others. It's not a nice feeling, right?"

Tommy can't speak. If he does, he's going to cry. He wants to bring his legs up to his chest and curl up into a tiny ball, to make his long lanky limbs appear small, but he's strapped to a chair. He's stuck. Surrounded by TNT. He's stuck. With Wilbur. He's stuck.

His breathing is ragged. His lungs hardly receiving any oxygen. He feels like he's drowning. Like all those hopeless nights through his exile when he woke up in the ocean. His subconscious wanting to kill him. Some small unwanted part of him agreeing with Wilbur.

_They're no good for this server._

"Tommy," Wilbur's voice is soothing. Like a balm against all his aches and pain. "It's ok to cry."

"I'm not crying," he sobs. 

"Of course not. You're a Big man, right?" The words aren't mocking, which just hurts all the more. Why'd he have to lose Wilbur? "Did you want to keep arguing? I mean the evidence points to us being at fault for Techno's execution."

"We're not," Tommy mutters, hoping that if he keeps his voice quiet, he could hide the trembling. The uncertainty. The tears.

"We're gonna have to agree to disagree if you _really_ don't think we had any part in Techno's execution," Wilbur sighs. "I mean Techno literally wouldn't have joined this SMP if _we_ didn't invite him. He wouldn't have had to die if we didn't involve him in our problems."

Before Tommy can think to say something, Wilbur moves his hand away from Tommy's face. Tommy's eyes snap wide open and watches through bleary vision as Wilbur stands. Wilbur takes a few steps back, leaning uncaringly against one wall of TNT. There's… there's maybe a grin on Wilbur's face. Tommy can't see it through the not-tears.

"So, any other wars we weren't a part of?" Wilbur asks.

"I… I…" Tommy wants to say he doesn't know, wants to numb his mind to everything happening, but… but he _can't_. He can't give in. "Sap… Sapnap! Sapnap and his Pet Wars!"

"You were literally a part of those wars," Wilbur laughs, like it's _funny_. Like war is hilarious. Like losing those you care about is just some game. 

"There was more than one war!" Tommy defends. Argues. "I wasn't involved in them all!"

"But you were involved in the first one. The one that set Sapnap on the path he went down," Wilbur reasons, _reasonably_. "You escalated a situation that could have been solved with words and reparations."

"Sapnap should have been the one to come forward and offer apologies. Sapnap shouldn't have killed our pets!" Tommy growls, frustrated. Not-tears run down his cheeks. "You can't blame me! I didn't start it by killing people's pets!"

"But you partook and took great joy in getting your revenge, didn't you Tommy? You egged others on to keep the war going. You didn't even try to stop events from progressing as they did. Things could have stopped so much sooner if you weren't there. Maybe there wouldn't have even been a war if you weren't around," Wilbur explains, like he's talking to a child. Tommy isn't a child. He hasn't been a child since _Wilbur_ put him to war, put him into a position of power.

"If I could have done things differently, so could have everyone else," Tommy mutters, trying to look Wilbur in the eye. He can't tell if those are the soft brown eyes of a caring brother figure or the dark brown eyes of a murderer. "Why does everything have to be our fault? Sure, we could have done things differently, but so could have everyone else? What makes us different? Why us?"

"Because we're the common factor in all this conflict," Wilbur says. "If you trace things back to the start, it'll all trace back to either you or me."

"Not Dream?" Tommy grumbles. "He's not exactly all that innocent either. _He_ was the one that started the Disc Wars. _He_ was the one who tried to steal my disks."

"After you gave the disks meaning," Wilbur helpfully points out. "And weren't you the one that told me Dream was never serious in all those wars before I arrived? Wasn't it everything I did that set him down the path of a villain? I _did_ make sure to paint him as a right tyrant after all. People come together better when they have someone to rally against and L’Manberg needed someone to fight against."

"Why do you keep taking credit for everyone's mistakes?!" Tommy's voice cracks as it rises in pitch. "They should be able to take credit for their own mistakes! Not everything is your fault!"

"I know, Tommy," Wilbur doesn't raise his voice. He rarely ever does. Tommy remembers a time when Wilbur was caring and teaching; when he explained to Tommy that calm words carried more weight behind them. Tommy never believed him, never followed his teachings. "I know. The things that weren't my fault, were yours."

Tommy wants to groan. Wants to stomp his feet. Wants _out_ already. But he can't do anything, not when he freezes when he notices what's in Wilbur's hand. When he sees what Wilbur is opening up wide and-

"Wilbur! Wil! Wilby! Stop!" Tommy cries. Begs. Pleads. "Please stop!"

With a flick of Wilbur's hand, a small unassuming light is brought to life. It's such a small flicker. The lighter hardly providing a spark as it slowly stutters to life. There's been nothing so dangerous as that tiny naked flame.

"It's alright, Toms," Wilbur says fondly. The light dances across his face oddly. Making him appear as the villain he promises to be. Making the TNT surrounding them all the more threatening. "Everything will be over in a moment. We'll be back in afterlife in no time at all."

Tommy wants to continue not-crying. Wants to scream and shout. Wants to be heard, to be understood; to be listened to properly. Instead, he laughs. Laughs loud and sharply. A harsh laugh that is broken. So very, very broken.

"Do you think Dream's gonna let that happen?" Tommy manages through the laughter. "Do you think Dream's gonna _let_ us die?"

"Why wouldn't he Tommy?" Wilbur questions. "He brought me back to help him with his revenge. _This_ should be more than sufficient."

"He brought me back for the sake of it. To prove a point," Tommy spits out, hating the words. "He thinks he's a _God_ and he's offered to make me as immortal as he thinks he is. Do you think that's someone that's just going to let me die? Do think that's someone that will just let you die?"

Wilbur hums, once again a pleasant little tune of thought.

"If he brings us back, we'll just have to do this all over again. Death will surely stick one of these times," Wilbur grins before lighting the closest TNT up.

It's horrible. 

The way the TNT doesn't instantly set alight and explode everything in sight. The way Tommy has time to panic and attempt to fruitlessly break free from his bindings. The way he can't help but call out for people who can't hear him.

"Phil!"

"Sam!"

"Tubbo!"

"Sapnap!"

"Fundy!"

It's _horrible_.

The way Wilbur watches him struggle with amusement. The way Wilbur sings softly, like his words are some final lullaby before they go to sleep. The way Wilbur's face is burnt and crushed under the death trap he's set up for them. For everyone.

_It's horrible_.

How the explosions tear away his flesh, burning and scarring him more than any death wound has before. How he has no control over his body, first from the bindings then by the powerful slam of TNT against his entire being, forcing him to the ground. How the explosions aren't what finish him off, how it's the ground above them collapsing in and _slowly_ crushing him to his latest death, giving him one final chance to scream for help.

"Phil! Tubbo! Sam...! Te- Techno! Dream...? Wilbur?"

He dies with the names of those he loves… maybe hates… on his tongue. He wakes in afterlife in so much pain. Wilbur assuring him everything's alright. That everything's fine now. Now that they're not a part of the server anymore.

He's in afterlife for a week (a few hours in the living time zone? The time difference was confusing) before he's brought back to life. Dream is smiling at him, his mask only half on to show the sincere smile (Dream's smiles were never sincere. They're fake like his eternally smiling mask).

"I can't say that was what I was expecting when I explained the plan to Wilbur, but it was effective," Dream says, laughter in his voice.

"Dream...?" Tommy grumbles, his mind slowly catching up to him. The reviving process not exactly designed for quick reactions.

A clear blue sky hangs high above them. Half the SMP lays in ruins beneath them. Dream is out of prison. People are panicking in the distance. Tommy aches all over.

"It's alright, Tommy," Dream holds a hand out to him and he _flinches_ away. Terrified. "Come on, Tommy."

Reluctance. With _so much_ reluctance Tommy accepts the hand, accepts the help offered, accepts being pulled to his feet.

(He ignores the goosebumps that race down his skin. The revulsion building in his gut. All kinds of alarms blaring in his head.)

"Wha- What happened?" He should know. He distinctly thinks he should _know_. That he was somewhere he didn't want to be, with someone he didn't want to be with, doing something he didn't want to do.

"Wilbur blew everything up, remember?" Dream's words are caring and gentle, but his smile is mocking. Cold. "I mean, as I said it was effective, but he's got to fine tune his plans a bit more. He can't go blowing you and himself up every time."

"He…" Tommy remembers. He _remembers_ , remembers so much pain followed by Wilbur’s dismissal and happiness in afterlife and- "He wants me dead. He wants to die. He's gonna… he's gonna do that again. I'm gonna _die_. _Again_."

"Don't worry, Toms," Dream says and for a second Tommy forgets who he's dealing with. Forgets that Dream had asked for this, forgets that Dream doesn't care. "If Wilbur kills you again, I'll just bring you back to life again. It's not like it’s either of your decision when you die, after all, right?"

Tommy stares and stares and stares and-

Cries.

Tommy cries. He cries and cries and cries. Tears uncontrollably running down his cheeks as Dream coos and mocks him for it. Dream drags him away, planning to reanimate Wilbur again. And… Tommy can do _nothing_. He… he has no control over his life. He can't choose to die, and he can't choose to live. All he can do… all he can do is cry and try to keep himself sane as two mad men hold his fate in the palm of their hands. All he can do is cry out for the names of those that will never save him.

**Author's Note:**

> After the stream where Tommy was revived I decided I just wanted to write ANGST, so here we are with THIS!!!! I have no idea if Tommy's latest stream (the one where he leaves prison?) contradicts any of this cause I haven't got around to watching it yet, but if it does oh well! This is fanfiction and I just wanted to try my hand at writing angst with no comfort! It was hard not to write the comfort by the way XD I wanted to just have Tubbo or Techno or Phil or ANYONE come in to save Tommy, but I was like NO! This is gonna be an angsty one shot that implies Tommy is stuck in this loop of dying and being revived because Dream and Wilbur be a LITTLE bit crazy! 
> 
> Anyways hope you enjoyed the oneshot!!!! If any of you readers are waiting on my other story 'Parental Rights', I'm thinking the next update will probs be Wednesday! So see ya then!!!! xxx


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